Plantar-arch and metatarsal foot-support



L. W. V. WILMS.

" PLANTAR ARCH AND METATARSAL F00 T SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1919.

11,3?5,34G Emma Apr. 19,1921,

UNITED sr PLANTAR-ARCH AND METATARSAL FOOT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '19, 1921.

Application filed June 30, 1919. Serial No 307,702.

' Metatarsal F Oct-Supports, of which the folvention is to provide a support to rest and lowing is a specification.

'This invention relates to'a device of the kind worn in shoes for the support of the foot for strengthening certain parts and for correcting distorted and weakened conditions of particular portions or members thereof.

The principal or main object of the instrengthen the plantar muscles and to sup- 7 port and correct the weakened and distorted conditions of the metatarsal arch of the human foot. Another object of the invention is to furnish a support of the above mentioned character, the parts of which shall be so constructed and operatively arranged as to permit of the same being of sufficient length to aiford yielding or flexible transverse support to the foot anteriorly just back of the heads of the metatarsal bones without causing the downward and pulling away movement of the rear portion of the plantar supporting plate in the heel of the shoe when the user steps on the ball of the foot and throws weight over on the toes in walking.

Still another object is to provide a support which shallhave a plurality of separately acting and yieldingly'supported'sections disposed in its front portion, the free 7 plate 111s secured near its inner rear porfront parts of which will afford; distinct hearings on the insole of the shoe and thus prevent them gouging or cutting into the same as is done by most metal arches heretofore in general use. A further object is to so mount sections of the device that they objects and advantages of the-invention will be disclosed inthefollowing. description and explanation. I V

"In the, accompanying drawing which serves to illustrate an embodiment of the inventi on,

Fi re 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 isa bottom or inverted plan view thereof. V

F1g. 3 1s a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the plantar muscle supporting plate taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

F' g. 5 is a similar view thereof taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view showing a modification in the manner of securing the sectional members of the device to the flexible supporting member. I

\ Corresponding reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the different views of the drawing, in which it will be understood that the device therein shown is for the left foot. V

The device consists of an elongated member or plate 10, of leather or other suitable flexible material, which may be shaped to fit or conform to the lines of a variety of sizes and shapes of shoes and feet, a long or plantar plate of metal 11, and a plurality of shell-shaped orupwardly dished metallic:

sections 12 and 13, mounted transversely on 'the lower surface of the front portion of tion, by means of a rivet 14, to the lower surface of the member or supporting plate 10" near its inner edge at or in the anterior heel 'portion thereof and has a forwardly and outwardly extended marginal edge or end may be readily detached if desired. Other adapted to fit comfortably under the anterior portion of the heel of the foot.- It will also Themember'or plate 10 serves the from one of its ends to the other end thereof, and has its posterior portion downwardly arched or concaved and its anterior portion convexed or transversely arched as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5of the drawing. Besides being longitudinally arched, the plate 11 is by preference provided on its inner edge with a slightlyupturned flange 15 to rein force a similarly shaped flange or portion 16 on the inner edge of the member 10, which latter the flange 15 underlies. The front portion of the platell is secured near its inner edge by means of a rifvet17 to the memberlO, which rivet is located some distance rearwardly of the front end of the plate. 11, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2,

i and 3 of the drawing.

.. tended at its front portionforwardly of said plate. Transversely mounted on thelower surface of the member 10 is another upwardly curved or dished metallic section13, the rear portion of which preferably overlies the front portions of both the section 12 and the plate 11, and is by preferencesecured to the member 10 by means of hollow rivets 18 as shown. I

Thus it will be seen that the lower or free front ends of the plate 11 and sections 12 and '13 are arranged to rest on the upper surface of the insole of the shoe so as to provide separate and distinct bearing surfaces orportions. As thesesections are upwardly curved or dished or transversely arched, and as before stated, as. they are yieldingly supported by the flexible member 10 at a point thereon just back of the heads of the metatarsal bones when the device is in use, they will give support to and strengthen the weakened. conditions of the metatarsal arch of the foot. I

In Fig. 6 of the drawing is shown a modification in the manner of securing the sections 12 and 13 to the plate 10, which con- SiSts in employing a single rivet 19 for each of said sections instead of a pair of rivets for each section as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and as above explained. In this modification, the construction of the parts in practically the same as that shown in Fig. 2 exrivets, it is evident that they can be easily cept that the rear portions of the sections 12 and 13 are slightly elongated as at 20 at about the middle oftheir rear edges. This construction will permit of slight lateral movement of the sections which some instances may be advantageous By fastening the sections with hollow removed from the member 10 by crushing said rivets inwardly when the sections may be replaced by others of slightly different con- ..within a shoe, a longitudinally arched formation. While I have shown two sections used in connection with" the device, yet I desire it to be understood that one or more of the same may beemployed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

above and extended forwardly .of the front portion ofsaid plate. y

2. A device of the character described, consisting ofan elongated flexible supporting member adapted to fitand be worn withina shoe, a plantar muscle supporting plate secured near its front and rear ends to "said member near its inner edge, said plate being of sufficient length toextend forwardly from the anterior portion of the heel to a point 1 located about one inch under the long or metatarsal bones of the foot, said plate having its rear portion downwardly and transversely arched and its front portion" upwardly and transversely arched, and a plurality of upwardly curved sections transversely mounted on said member above and extended forwardly of the front portion of said plate, said sections overlapping one another. V

3. A device of the character described, consisting of an elongated flexible; supporting member adapted tofitand be worn plantar muscle supporting platev secured near its front and rear ends near its inner edge to said member near the inner edge thereof, said plate having its rear portion downwardly and transversely arched and its front portion upwardly and transversely arched, and an upwardly curved section transversely mounted on saidmemberfabove and extended forwardly of the front portion ofsaidplate. f. A 1.

l. A device of the character described, consisting of an elongated flexible support ing member adapted to fit and be wornwithin a shoe, a longitudinally arched plantar muscle supporting plate secured near its .125 front and rear ends near its inneiedge to said member near the inner edge thereof, said plate being of sufficient length to extend forwardly from the 'anterior portion of the heel to a point located about one inch 130 under the long or metatarsal bones of the foot and having its rear portion downwardly and transversely arched and its front portion upwardly and transversely arched, and a plurality of upwardly curved sections transversely mounted on said member above and extended forwardly of the front portion of said plate, said sections overlapping one another.

5. A device of the character described,

consisting of an elongated flexible support,

ing member adapted to fit and be worn within a shoe, and having at'its inner edge an upturned longitudinally extended flange,

a longitudinally arched plantar muscle supporting plate having at its inner edge an upturned longitudinally arched flange to underlie the flange of said member, said plate being secured near its front and rear ends near its inner edge to said member near the inner edge thereof, said plate having its rear portion downwardly and transversely arched and its front portion upwardly and transversely arched, and an 7 upwardly dished section transversely mounted on said member above and extended forwardly of the front portion of said late. V

LEE V. WILMS. 

